Yuendumu store manager quits

Sandra and Mark Day have been managing stores for years in remote Aboriginal communities. However, next month Sandra and Mark will break their two year contract with the community of Yuendumu and leave, weeks before income management is due to start in the remote Central Australian community.

"From what I can gather it's pretty much a nightmare. I had one store manager who left, rang me and said, "Get out. Get out now, get out quick. Don't even hesitate, leave."'

Sandra Day has been managing community stores for years in remote Aboriginal communities. Sandra and her husband Mark have been at the Yuendumu store for 11 months. However, next month they will break their two year contract with the community and leave, weeks before income management is due to start in Yuendumu.

For Sandra Day, the decision to leave was based on the increased workload they expect once income management begins in the community. By the end of April, Yuendumu will join 15 other remote communities in Central Australia who have undergone income management, or 'quarantining'. Under the scheme, fifty percent of welfare payments will be directed to pay for essentials such as food and shelter. Community stores will become the administrative frontline between Centrelink and people wanting to spend purchase orders at the local shop.

Already Sandra has experienced this increased workload as members from surrounding communities where income management has already started come to Yuendumu, wanting to spend their money at the store. Sandra says she is reluctant to add to her already busy schedule, dealing with added paperwork and the time consuming contact with Centrelink staff when problems arise.

"I have got extreme worries, when the Intervention starts here and the quarantine money starts, I'm afraid that the administration side of things, the hours are going to be too excessive, the store simply can't afford to put on too many more staff, we're understaffed now, as it is now. I work over 60 hours a week and with the added bookkeeping I am really very worried."

Beyond the added workload, Sandra says the reluctance of the community to go down the path of income management will add pressure to the store manager's role.

"The community members do not want this Intervention, they're very upset by it and they're not going to be happy to have their money quarantined...they are resisting it strongly. I feel that there is going to be problems arising in people wanting to spend their money on other things. This is going to create a few problems."